Scientific Societies

The Royal Society of London

• Middle 17th century • From ‘invisible college’

of natural philosophers who were influenced by Francis Bacon’s New Atlantis

• Abandon authority and appeal only to empirical evidence

• Origin of Royal Society linked to a faculty of 12 at Gresham College.

• Meeting following a talk by Christopher Wren on 28 November 1660

• Resolved to create a new ‘college’

Sir Christopher Wren, 1632-1723

• Group of 12 formed a club for ‘Promoting the Physico-Mathematical Experimental Learning’

• 28 November 1660• Meet weekly to discuss

scientific topics and conduct experiments

Nullius in

Verba

• Founded as a formal society after the Restoration

• Charles II granted royal charter 1662 and 1663 and called The Royal Society of London

• To be the scientific advisor to the king

Agendas of meetings included• Reports: oral or

written• Discussions• Experiments:

Robert Hooke first Demonstrator of Experiments

• Formal members known as fellows (FRS as a title)

• Early members physicians and independently-wealthy upper class

• 1843 members admitted only on basis of scientific merit

• Led to the profession of scientist

Journal Publications

First issue of Journal des Scavans and Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society in 1665

First record of peer review by Henry Oldenburg, founding editor of Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society in 1665

1619-1677, Germany and England

Types of Scientific Societies• Honorary

Royal Society National Academy of Sciences

• Interdisciplinary American Association for the Advancement of Science American Institutes of Biological Sciences

• Regional Northeasten Naturalist Association New England Botanical Club Pennsylvania Academy of Science

• Disciplinary American Society of Mammalogists Phycological Society of America Society for Freshwater Science

Cost of publication supported by• Membership dues• Journal

subscriptions• Page chargesThousands of scientific journalsRise of electronic publishing

Other forms of communications:• Scientific Meetings– Abstracts– Posters– Presentations

• Seminars• Special publications